Everyone likes lists right? We make them as kids for Santa, we take them grocery shopping and post them on our refrigerator, but what about your evaluation list for a project management solution?
Now, don’t confuse this with your requirements list which includes all the features a solution “must have” to make the team happy and productive. This list is about the things you should have and be doing during this process.
Don’t let your requirements boss you around! Follow this list to find the best fit tool for your team.
| Have you established your top 4-5 needs? |
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Don’t have too many must haves, you will start chasing unimportant features in place of the major ones. |
| Have you established support? |
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It’s pretty hard to search and present all on your own. If you don’t have support from leadership or fellow managers, it’s time to start recruiting some! |
| Do you know how much you can or are willing to spend? |
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This can be a common 'unknown' for a lot of teams, but it’s important to know where you should be doing your research. At least ask for a range so you get an idea of where to invest your time searching. |
| What’s next? |
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This one is all too common and can snowball into a long list of delays. |
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Make sure to figure out an action plan of 'next steps' following your demonstration. Set some deadlines to make sure things get done. |
| When will we be up and running? |
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This is the toughest question of them all! It’s like asking how long it’s going to take to go shopping at the mall, depends where, who, and what. |
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Put together some dates for when you want to buy something, when you want to start training, when you hope everything is finished and running smoothly. |
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Be realistic. This is a serious decision and won’t be perfect overnight. |
Keep these items in mind during your search for a successful and swift process. If you haven’t checked them all off your list, then now is the best time to get started. Sooner is always better than too late!